Probably the most important activity to reduce the potential for bot flies is to follow your veterinarians directions for routine worming. Removal of the eggs from the horse's coat may also reduce the survival of future generations. How can I prevent bot fly infestation in my horse?ĭaily removal of manure to a distant location, or to a compost pile, will reduce the number of pupae that survive and turn into adult flies. This is the point in time when the horse is unlikely to become reinfected and the number of third stage larvae that normally pass in the manure is minimized. The treatment is generally timed to occur after the first hard frost of the year, normally in November or December. Your veterinarian can recommend an ivermectin-based product that will kill the larvae. Most likely, if you have seen the eggs you should plan on dosing your horse with a dewormer that is effective in killing the larvae. These can be removed with a bot fly knife or other scraping device. If you see bot flies hovering around your horse, inspect your horse's legs, throat and face for the bot fly eggs. Take note of these bee-like flies as the hover about the legs of your horse. What should I do if you see horse bot flies? Extreme cases, and cases with very young or old horses, may result in other gastric and intestinal disturbances such as impaction, rupture, peritonitis and anemia. Healthy horses tolerate moderate bot fly larvae populations without external symptoms. When bot fly larvae migrate through the horse's skin, they cause pock marks in the horse's haircoat. Reports of esophageal paralysis have also been reported to result from bot fly infestation. As they migrate to the stomach and attach to the stomach walls, they may cause ulcers. How does the bot fly impact my horse's health?īot fly larvae can cause dental irritation as they burrow into the gums and tongue shortly after being ingested. The curved abdomen serves as an ovipositor, used to attach eggs to the horse's coat in specific areas. The bot fly has small, undeveloped mouth parts and does not feed during its lifetime. The fly has a bee-like appearance, but differs in that it has only a single pair of wings and the abdomen curves downward. The adult bot fly emerges in the early summer and fall. This stage of the life cycle occurs between late winter and early spring. The larvae burrow into the soil or dried manure where they pupate and remain for the next one to two months.
Scientists can identify the species of bot fly by examining the size and location of the spines.Īfter the third stage larvae mature, they detach from the gastrointestinal tract wall and are passed in the manure.
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